Solomon was born at Bantas Fork. This is actually a stream in/near West Alexandria, Preble Co., OH. It was named after Albert Banta. This place of birth is based on family information in my possession and research I have done over many years.

OBITUARY:
At the residence of his son-in-law, A. V. Auter, in Topeka, Kansas, of Erysipelas, on the 29th of April, departed this life SOLOMON BANTA, Esq., in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

Solomon Banta was born in Warren county, Ohio, and in about the year 1806 removed to this county, (Lanier Township, we believe,) with his father, with whom he worked on a farm and received a limited education in the log school house of the then unsettled country. About 1821 or '22, a gentleman from the east, named James A. Mendel, came into the neighborhood and taught a classical school in a log school house near the then residence of the late Judge VanAusdal, which was attended by quite a number of young men from Eaton, Camden, and the surrounding country. Mr. Banta was one of the students at this Log House Academy, and made some proficiency in Latin, Greek, and other studies.

He afterwards taught school for several seasons and then went to Lebanon and entered the law office of Gov. Thos. Corwin. After he was admitted to the Bar, he remained some time in Preble County, where he married Miss Malinda Small. He then emigrated with his wife to Danville, Ill., where he practiced law for a number of years, during which time the Black Hawk war broke out and he entered the volunteer army as a private and served in the ranks with Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were in the battle of the "Bad Axe."'

In 1837 Mr. Banta returned with his family to Eaton, bought property and commenced the practice of law in which he was engaged for many years. He served a number of years as Commissioner of Insolvents, two terms as Prosecuting Attorney of Preble county, several times as Mayor of Eaton and for many years as Justice of the Peace.

He was always a firm and steadfast Democrat, his favorite motto being, "Equal and exact justice to all men, special privileges to none." For several years he served as political editor of the DEMOCRAT. He was social in his disposition, warm in his friendship, honorable and upright in all his dealings and intercourse with his fellow-men, and was respected and esteemed by all who knew him. At a meeting of the Eaton Bar, held in the Court House on the 3rd inst., the following resolutions were adopted :

Resolved, That our deceased Brother was a man of integrity and honesty, and a valuable member of
society. Resolved, That in his death the members of the Bar have lost a genial companion, a charitable and honest man. Resolved, That the foregoing resolutions be placed upon the minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, and handed to the county papers for publication.

Publication: The Eaton Democrat
Location: Eaton, OH
Date: Thursday, May 08, 1879
Page: 3

(A huge thank you to Member #50571751 for finding this obituary and sending it to me.)